Prosthetic acetabular cups as used in total hip replacement surgery have been made from a variety of materials throughout the years. Cups have been made from all metals, from all polymers or from a combination of materials wherein the outer shell is formed from metal and the liner which forms the articulating surface is formed from a polymer. The choice of polymer varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is widely used.
Prosthetic cups are made to be screwed to the acetabulum, are press fitted to the acetabulum, or may be cemented to the acetabulum depending on the surgeon's preference for the particular patient. Several advantages and disadvantages are associated with each style of cup as well as its particular fixation method. One disadvantage to an all UHMWPE cup is that cement fixation is difficult as bone cement does not adhere well to UHMWPE. Further, an all UHMWPE cup exhibits creep problems when implanted into the body as the glass transition temperature of UHMWPE is lower than the temperature of a patient's body.